How To Explore The Largest Pyramid In Mexico (The Great Pyramid Of Cholula)
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Outside of places I’ve lived, Mexico is the destination I’ve visited most, exploring all the beaches, cities, and pyramids, including the largest one, The Great Pyramid of Cholula, which is the coolest and most underrated in my opinion (receiving a fraction of visitors compared to other popular pyramids), so I’ve put together all the details you’ll need to know to visit this historical site in Mexico.
🛕 Why Visit The Great Pyramid Of Cholula
While exploring Mexico, I’ve visited Chichen Itza, Teotihuacan, and The Great Pyramid of Cholula, and while all are incredible pieces of history, The Great Pyramid of Cholula is a favorite for a few reasons:
It’s A Mysterious Piece Of Ancient History
The Great Pyramid of Cholula was thought to have initially been constructed around 300-200 BC, being modified over time by groups like the Toltecs and Aztecs, though the initial constructors still remain a mystery (even the Aztecs thought one of their gods constructed it long ago).
The name Cholula comes from Nahuatl (the Aztec language) which means “Place of Refuge”, but locally the pyramid is known as Tlachihualtepetl, meaning “Handmade Mountain”.
It’s The Largest Pyramid In Mexico
Based on volume, The Cholula Great Pyramid is not only the largest in Mexico but also the world, measuring 3.3 million cubic meters compared to the 2.4 million cubic meters of the Pyramid of Khufu in Giza, Egypt.
The Cholula pyramid height is about 66 meters (or 216 feet), while the base covers an area of 16 hectares (or about 40 acres).
It Remained Hidden Until About 100 Years Ago
The Cholula pyramid was last used by the Aztecs and the story goes that they knew conquistadors were coming so they covered it in soil to hide it from them. It remained completely hidden until the late 1800s when research began, but excavations weren’t carried out until the 1930s and again in the 1960s.
It’s A Completely Underrated Tourist Destination
This pyramid is a highly underrated historical site that only receives about 200,000 visitors per year, compared to Chichen Itza’s 2 million+ and Teotihuacan’s 4 million+.
📍 How To Get To The Largest Pyramid In Mexico
If you’re visiting Mexico City, the Puebla and Cholula areas are super easy to reach by bus or by going on a guided day trip tour.
Take A Convenient Tour
Cholula is only about 2.5 hours from the capital city so it’s easy to reach on your own, but a guided tour that leaves out of Mexico City is definitely the most convenient option to avoid transportation details and directions.
Explore On Your Own (my step by step itinerary)
I visited The Cholula Great Pyramid by taking the bus from Mexico City to the Puebla transportation terminal and then hopped in an Uber to get to the pyramid. It was very easy and I recommend visiting this way if you want more time to explore the area.
- start at a Mexico City bus terminal (I stayed at the airport so I used that one)
- ride about 2 hours to Puebla
- take a 20 minute taxi or Uber (the safer option) ride to the pyramid
- get dropped off on the north side near The Cholula Museum
- buy pyramid tickets off of this street and purchase the optional Spanish-speaking tour guide
- visit the museum across the street first
- return to where you bought tickets and enter the pyramid tunnel (this was my favorite part, but it’s better early when there’s less people, and it can be bad for those that are claustrophobic)
- outside the tunnel walk south, towards the main entrance, but before going in, turn left and head east to see the Cholula letters
- go back to the main entrance and explore the outside pyramid areas (walk all the way back to see the largest portion of exposed pyramid)
- return to the main entrance and turn left to walk up to the top of the largest pyramid in Mexico (most of it’s still covered, but it’s possible to walk up to what would be considered the top)
- halfway up get photos of the distant volcanoes (Iztaccíhuatl and Popocatépetl, pictured above), all the way up see the 16th century church (built on top of the pyramid) and views of Puebla
🔁 Sum Up: Exploring The Largest Pyramid In Mexico (The Great Pyramid Of Cholula)
The Great Pyramid of Cholula is one of the best historical sites to visit in Mexico, not only because it’s the largest pyramid in the world, but also because it’s highly underrated, receiving only a tiny fraction of visitors in comparison to Chichen Itza or Teotihuacan, and because you can both climb on top of it as well as explore the inside of it.
